coached two United States baseball teams in the Pan American Games. After his final season as Michigan State's baseball coach, Kobs was honored by the National Rockne Club as the Collegiate Baseball Coach of the Year in March 1964. Kobs also coached the Michigan State men's basketball team for two years from 1924 to 1926, compiling a record of 11–26. He was also the Spartans' first ice hockey coach, holding the position for six years from 1925 to 1931 with a record of 9–19–1. In his early years at the school, he also coached freshman football and served as an assistant coach on the varsity football team. In June 1963, Kobs voluntarily resigned from active coaching at age 64 and became administrative assistant to Michigan State athletic director Biggie Munn. In December 1966, Kobs announced that he would retire effective July 1, 1967, following 43 years of service to Michigan State. Death and posthumous honors In January 1968, Kobs died of a heart attack at his home in East Lansing, Michigan, at age 69. He was survived by his wife, Lauretta Kobs, and two sons, Robert Kobs and John Kobs, Jr. Two months after his death, Kobs was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame; his award was accepted by his widow, Lauretta Kobs at a dinner and ceremony at Cobo Hall in Detroit. In March 1969, Michigan State's Board of Trustees approved naming the university's baseball field "John Kobs Field" in honor of Kobs. The field was dedicated between games of a doubleheader against Wisconsin on May 10, 1969. The field and stadium are now known as Drayton McLane Baseball Stadium at John H. Kobs Field. The field remains named after Kobs, and the stadium facility is named after Houston Astros owner and Michigan State alumni Drayton McLane. Kobs was also posthumously inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993 as part of the second group of inductees. He has also been inducted into the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame, and the Hall of Fame of the American Association of College Baseball Coaches. John Kobs is also a member of the Hamline University Sports Hall of Fame. Head coaching record Baseball 1925: 9–5 –1 (.633) 1926: 13–7–0 (.650) 1927: 13–8–0 (.619) 1928: 11–7–0 (.611) 1929: 12–11–1 (.521) 1930: 16–6–0 (.727) 1931: 13–9–1 (.587) 1932: 10–12–2 (.458) 1933: 13– 7–0 (.650) 1934: 10–11–1 (.477) 1935: 11–9–1